A:
There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers Nan Hampton, Jimmy
Mills and Barbara Medford to be the culpable
and capable parties. Yet, others think
staff members Damon
Waitt, Joe Marcus and Philip Hawkins might play some, albeit small, role. You
can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green
Guru's
secret
identity.

Questions From Near You

Lexington, MADistinguishing native Celastrus scandens from non-native C. Orbiculatus from Lexington MA Dear Mr. Plants,
I maintain a wildflower garden with the Lexington Field and Garden Club in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Every year, I pull up sprouts of Celastris orbiulatis. I want to plan... view the full question and answer

Lexington, MAHow to get rid of invasive vine We moved into our very old (300+ year house) several years ago and I am slowly getting round to cleaning up and replanting flower beds. When I cleared the space to grow clematis along a fence in the b... view the full question and answer

Arlington, MANative invasives question from Arlington MA When I searched your website for creepers in Massachusetts, I found the following recommendations: Campsis radicans and Parthenocissus quinquefolia. But in response to a reader's question, you called... view the full question and answer

Arlington, MAHeight of tree to block sun on deck in Arlington MA I am trying to figure out how tall a tree I should buy in order to make sure to block out the sun on my deck view the full question and answer

Burlington, MADwarf native plants for shade in Burlington, MA Hi, I removed all of the evergreen shrubs in front of my house in Zone 6. It is in full shade all summer but has some sun during the spring because of a huge beech tree in front yard. there is 2 8'... view the full question and answer

Burlington, MAGroundcover for erosion control I have a sloped area in my back yard where we need to plant some erosion control plants. The area is above a large (100 foot long x 4 foot tall) stone wall and another smaller wall of natural stone. ... view the full question and answer

Belmont, MAIdentification of all-white small plants growing in the woods in Belmont, MA. I have just seen a group of completely ALL-WHITE small plants growing in the woods. They have 4-8in. stalks with a kind of bell-shaped flower growing at the top. There is no green anywhere on this pla... view the full question and answer

Woburn, MAIs common milkweed considered endangered from Woburn MA Is common milkweed, a food source for monarchs, considered federally protected, endangered, rare or threatened? Does any state protect common milkweed? It would be nice; if not, if state parks and nat... view the full question and answer

Woburn, MAVirginia wild strawberry plants for New Hampshire or Massachusetts Where can I find Virginia wild strawberry plants or seeds for my garden and will they grow up north in New Hampshire or Massachusetts? view the full question and answer

Woburn, MAWhy are Virginia strawberries native to Massachusetts? Thank you for your answer regarding Virginia wild strawberries. I thought they were only native to Virginia and that Virginia fragaria duchesne is the accepted name for them. Why do strawberries of Ne... view the full question and answer

Medford, MANative trees for Medford MA Two quick questions. 1) what trees would grow happily along the banks of the Mystic River in Medford, MA? 2) Would it be o.k. to plant weeping willows? Are they indigenous to the area? I'm not a pur... view the full question and answer

Newton, MAPlant identification I have had a plant for 37 years! It is a vine with leaves that grow in groups of three and they typically have 5 points. The leaves are dark green and shiny. I would love to know what this old friend ... view the full question and answer

Newton, MALow-Maintenance Hedge for Massachusetts I want to put in a native low-maintenance hedge in a sunny spot with plants that can take dry soil. I would like the plants to grow to less than 4 feet wide. It can be an informal hedge, but I don't ... view the full question and answer

Newton, MAPreserving endangered plants in Massachusetts I've recently visited the national registry of threatened or endangered plants for my Massachusetts home, with a hope of :
1. Identifying rare, threatened or endangered species in my state.
2. fi... view the full question and answer

Cambridge, MASource for native Orobanche plant seeds for research I'm looking for native Orobanche plant seeds for a research project, but have had no luck so far. We've been able to locate lots of sources for the noxious weed Orobanche (from Europe), but none for... view the full question and answer

Cambridge, MAGroundcover for area with impact from rain from roof The small garden on the side of my townhouse gets some hard rainfall during every storm. We've found ways of redirecting and using much of the rainfall (gutter and downspout to rain barrel, permeable... view the full question and answer

Cambridge, MAPlants to stabilize sandy slope in Massachusetts Dear Mr. Smartypants,
I am working on a small public housing project in Chelmsford, MA, northwest of Boston. We have a steep, sunny and SANDY slope and I am stumped as to what to recommend that wi... view the full question and answer

Billerica, MAIdendification of plants with white cotton ball flowers A few months ago I found a small plant with a white cotton ball type flower on it. It had red spots. It was on the bank of the Nashua river. I had never seen this before, and I am having a hard time ... view the full question and answer

Billerica, MACutting costs on purchase of plants in Boston I spend OVER $600 per season on annuals for my gardens here in the Boston area each year. I wonder if there is any place you are aware that I can buy discounted plants? I grow the typical geraniums, m... view the full question and answer

Melrose, MAErosion control for steep shady hillside in Massachusetts What would be a good plant for erosion control on a steep, very shady hillside in Massachusetts?
view the full question and answer

Melrose, MAArborvitae as privacy screen in Maine I want to plant privacy bushes (arborvitae shrubs) around my back yard. My husband built a wall to retain the soil behind it. My neighbors' yards abut mine. They have a fence, but not high enough to... view the full question and answer